Just a Small Mishap
by Latia
Summary: What comes from upstairs can only be described as a squawk. Then, nothing.


What comes from upstairs can only be described as a squawk. Then, nothing.

"Rose?" John looks up from the TV. "Rose, was that you?"

No one responds.

He gets up, fighting down the urge to literally fly up the stairs. "Rose? Are you alright?"

It isn't until he's at the top step that he gets an answer. "-ine."

"What?" John advances to her room, only to be faced with a closed door. "Say that again?"

"It's fine." Her voice is muffled, but firm. "I'm fine. Just a small mishap."

He hesitates, then puts his hand on the doorknob. "Well can I come in-?"

"**NO**." There's a pause, then a small cough. "No, thank you, I'll be fine."

He screws his face up in a suspicious stare that could probably be felt from the other side of the door. "You'll _BE_ fine?"

"No-I am, I just..." She sighs. "I'm unharmed, I...I was doing some cleaning and I found some books from the LOLAR Library and...my old wand-"

"You were messing around with that crap?!" John has to fight hard to not raise his voice. "Okay...Rose, you're one of the smartest people I know, which is why my TINY LITTLE BRAIN can not comprehend why you will, on occassion, do some REALLY not-so-smart shit-!"

"I didn't-!" The sound from the other side of the door is muffled, but very clearly the sound of a hand hitting a forehead. "John, I'm not _that_stupid, I was simply...I was holding one of the Thorns in my hand, playing with it a bit, and reading one page I hadn't seen before, one page about temporary sense enhancement, and...it must have thought I was trying to perform the spell and...it went off...and hit my face."

He gapes. "Wha-are you okay?!"

"I told you, I'm fine, I simply..."

"SImply what?"

There comes several seconds of silence, then the -click- of the door being unlocked. It swings open and-

"Oh."

And then-

"O...o-oh...huh..."

Rose scowls, a dark flush spreading across her cheeks. "You are allowed thirty seconds to laugh as much as you need." She crosses her arms and looks away, causing the fluffy black ears on her head to swish a little. "If you pull something, however, it's no responsibility of mine."

"N-no, Rose it's not...okay, it's a little funny, but..." He leans in a little, just barely resisting the urge to poke one. "Are they...cat...?"

"Cat ears. Evidently the laws of magic have a sense of humor." The left ear gives an annoyed flick. "The spell was for enhanced senses, and I got them. Incidentally, the mice in Dave's room seem to be having a celebration now that he's not there."

"There's mice in Dave's room?" He gives her a sly look. "Maybe you could go in there and-"

He recieves a small swat to the head for his troubles. "Meet me downstairs."

* * *

"Well, UNFORTUNATELY, whatever the source of this material is neglected to think of a counterspell." She drops the book and sighs heavily , her head tilting backwards into John's lap. "The good news is it is, in fact, a temporary spell, and should disappear within a day's time."

"Heh, well that's good." He waits several seconds before bringing a hand to rest on his thigh, inches away from her ears.

"Good enough, I suppose." She sighs again. "And I wanted to go shopping today..."

"Well maybe Jade can lend you a hat or something when she gets back! Or, oh man, will you guys even be able to stand each other? I mean, the way she was with Jaspersprite..."

"I can practically hear you wanting to scratch my ears."

His fingers twitch. "...well. I'm sorry to break it to you, but your ears look very scratchable! Something has got to happen here."

She sighs again, and closes her eyes. "Have at thee."

"Wait, for real?"

"Might as well."

He hesitates, and places his big palm against her head. After a moment his fingers move inwards to give her right ear a little scratch. There comes a faint '_oh_.' John looks down at her. "Is that okay?"

"M...mm. Yes. Keep going, a little lower."

He obliges, and wow, they're really soft. He gives her a few seconds of scritching before giving the whole ear a few little rubs. "They're so...fluffy."

"That's how things covered with fluff tend to be." It twitches against his hand, feeling remarkably like a moth. "Could you...maybe give the other side some attention?"

She leans her head against his hand, and he grins. This was going to be a fun evening.


End file.
